The Tribune

By Dr Sparkman Ferguson

THERE IS a global epidemic of dental diseases, and adult dental diseases account for the lion’s share of it.

There are various reasons also how a country contributes to the global dental epidemic. In any epidemiological study, there are always countries or groups that defy the statistics because they are not affected by a particular disease process. When such groups come under study, it is usually found that it has a special quality or has methods of controlling the disease.

In 2013, dental researchers from the University of London discovered that dental diseases affect 3.9 billion people - more than half of the world’s population. As part of a systematic assessment of global data on 291 major diseases, the researchers concluded that untreated tooth decay in permanent teeth were the most common, affecting 35 per cent of the global population.

Teeth and gums were created resilient and strong. With reasonable care, they will serve an individual for a lifetime. They can absorb some abuse and some neglect. However, they will not endure indefinite abuse and neglect before rebelling.

No matter how many times someone reads an article such as this, people generally feel invincible and think that no matter how much abuse and neglect they provide that their bodies will always be faithful and bail them out. This is factual, whether we are speaking about someone afflicted with alcohol or other drug abuse or abusing any other aspect of their personal health.

Most people call upon the mouth with its teeth and gums three to five times each day to perform its masticatory duties. This number is even greater in individuals who consume more daily meals. With all this chewing, the teeth and gums require regular home and professional maintenance in order to remain fit and healthy.

It is unfortunate that so many persons seem not to understand this important “maintenance” need.

A dental colleague and I agreed to keep a record of adult extractions (removal of teeth) for March this year. Our results paralleled and revealed the exact cause for most of the extractions. The results were stunning: it was always some form of gum disease that could have been treated had it been addressed earlier.

What are the reasons for this dental epidemic?

In the first instance, people do not remember their mouths until they experience pain. Secondly, they do not seek treatment in a timely fashion. The final and most important reason lies in the fact that “maintenance schedules” are not adhered to.

These are by no means all the reasons for the dental epidemic but they are the major reasons in a developing country.

People should seek to avoid dental extractions except in rare instances (wisdom teeth and orthodontic extractions) where they are needed. Most dental extractions in adults are due to the periodontal diseases. These diseases occur mostly because of dental neglect and are responsible for the loss of most adult teeth.

It is not possible to know all the reasons why dental diseases exist in epidemic proportions globally, or in a particular country or region. I am however convinced, that in an island nation such as the Bahamas, where there is ample availability of knowledge, expertise and health professionals, that the population should experience much less dental disease. This might suggest that “effort” is a big factor.

It is, however, factual that a high level of dental ignorance still exists in our community.

Additionally, individuals up to the age of 40 ought to secure their overall dental health early in life. This age group (21-40) usually has the opportunity to correct dental disease caused by neglect. After 40, and if there has been constant dental neglect, it is generally difficult to avoid the loss of permanent teeth because of gum diseases.

Finally, the Bahamas is in a unique position because it has the opportunity to exit the global dental epidemic. This will require intense public education, co-operation and teamwork between our public and dental professionals.